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The Art of Forgiveness

forgiveness hari krishna
Be more like this person.

“In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you learn to let go?” – Buddha

A wise person once said that anger is just a mask for your hurt feelings. (If I told you that person was Ruthie from Real World Hawaii, would you lose respect for me?) That sentiment has always stuck with me, mostly because I think it’s so damn true. 

Like any other human being, I have been hurt and I have hurt others. Sometimes the beef is instantly squashed, and sometimes we hold on to grudges for weeks, months, even years. Seems kind of crazy considering most hurt feelings can be remedied by a meaningful apology — but what do we do when we don’t get the apology we think we deserve, or what about when “I’m Sorry” isn’t enough? Sure, ruminating in anger caused by a person who has hurt you provides a temporary sense of satisfaction. But as long as you’re walking around with emotional shackles, you’re not going to get very far very quickly. What feels better: Sitting around thinking about all the different ways somebody has wronged you, or not thinking of that person at all?

forgive ed kristen
Rob forgave Kristin, and look how happy they are now! Eh, jury is still out on that one…

While it’s much easier said than done, choosing to forgive somebody is probably one of the most freeing things you can do in a situation where you can’t seem to let go of hurt feelings. The best part is, you don’t even have to wait for that person to say they’re sorry! You know why? Because when you forgive, it’s not about the other person– it’s about you.

In the past, I’ve been scrutinized for continually forgiving those who have wronged me, and have sometimes viewed this quality in myself as a weakness. I recently spent two years depressed because I hadn’t talked to my sister, because I was mad at her. During those same two years, I was also not talking to an old friend who had continually proven himself to be unworthy of my time. I’d wake up, sling my feet over my bed, start my day, and think about how I was gonna teach them a lesson: “Ha! You want to act like an asshole? Well I’m gonna’ show you! Watch me not care about you!” I’d spend entire weeks walking around not caring about these people who had wronged me, getting on the subway still not caring, gainfully employed sitting at a desk not caring not caring. Until I realized that neither of the people I was angry at were even close to being as affected by my “not caring” as I was. Because, after dragging around a million pounds of emotional baggage that weighed so heavily on me everyday, I realized I, in fact, cared a lot. And as soon as I made the decision in my brain to let go of my pissed-off-edness, I felt 3,000x better.

That’s why you should never view the act of forgiving somebody as “giving in” or “being weak.” Even if you know the person still sucks, even if they never even said sorry to you, even if you still think about what they did and it burns you up. That’s when you know it’s time to  let it roll off your back. Because you rule, and they suck, and rather than spend hours trying to unravel the twisted layers of their psyche that has caused them to act a certain way, it’s easier to just say, “I forgive you,” and get on with your day. So in a way, forgiveness can be viewed as a selfish act. It’s designed to make your life easier.

why did blink 182 breakup
After nearly losing Travis in a plane crash, Mark and Tom forgave each other and Blink 182 reunited!

This year, I chose to forgive people who had hurt me many times in the past. And while some have gone on to prove themselves to be an asshole (yet again), I don’t regret that I forgave them. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever get down on myself for continually giving people chances. Alternately, there are also some people that I’m still working on forgiving. It’s not an active conversation that I’m having with said offenders, it’s a personal thing. Not because what they did was OK, but because their actions are likely a product of their upbringing and surroundings, and go much deeper than something nasty they said or did to me.

In the end, I feel badly that they are weighed down by their past, present and questionable future. So I choose to forgive, and in turn I feel lighter.

Comments

xtina
Reply

PREACH IT SISTA! so true. la you.

Markie
Reply

Forgive me for being a jerk about voting

Rochelle
Reply

Bravo!

Will
Reply

I am glad you have finally forgiven me for all my wrong-doings

Rochelle
Reply

“If we haven’t forgiven, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn. That is what suffers.” (Buddhism)

daddybunt
Reply

I forgive you for making me try physically to kick you in the ass, some-odd years ago. When I read this, I felt like, “Niagara Falls, Frankie.”

Brandie
Reply

It’s all about growing up! which we all have I’m proud of u pangie! you’re going to go far one day! I’m glad ill be there to witness it all! I love u!!xo

Winnie
Reply

Such a beautiful post … made me all verklempt. Very proud.

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